The team experience that people actually talk about the next day is rarely the one with the loudest agenda. It is the one that felt genuine, where the group discovered something together. Most team experiences in Lisbon take place in hotel meeting rooms with wine on the side, or in touristy cellar venues with scripted commentary and entrance-fee pricing. POP offers something entirely different: a private tasting in a real shop, run by real people, in a neighbourhood that feels like the actual Lisbon, at a price that reflects that.
Why tastings work for teams
A wine or gourmet tasting is one of the most naturally social activities there is. It gives everyone something to focus on, something to react to, something to disagree about. It generates conversation between people who might not otherwise find a starting point. And because there is no score, no ranking and no wrong answer, just personal taste and curiosity, it is inclusive in a way that competitive team activities rarely are.
POP: an intimate setting unlike any other
POP is a wine and gourmet store on Rua da Senhora do Monte in Graça, one of Lisbon’s most authentic and least touristy neighbourhoods. The back room, warm and intimate, is the setting for private tastings: small groups, properly served, guided by owner Elliot through a selection of natural wines and gourmet products that tell the story of Portugal’s producers. Unlike hotel event spaces or tourist cellar venues, POP has no per-head entrance fee structure, the cost is what you drink and eat, at shop prices.
What a POP tasting looks like
A typical tasting moves through a selection of Portuguese natural wines, whites like Darei and Fitapreta, reds like Kompassu and Lalinha, pet-nats like Raza, each chosen to show a different region, grape or approach. Alongside the wines, Elliot introduces the gourmet products that pair with them: muxama from the Algarve, Tricana conservas, artisan cheeses, and Chocolat Bonnat single-origin bars. The format is guided but relaxed, no exam at the end, questions welcomed.
Coming soon: azulejo workshops
POP’s back room will also soon be hosting azulejo painting workshops, hands-on sessions in the centuries-old Portuguese tile-making tradition. For teams looking for a creative, culturally immersive experience, this will offer a compelling complement to the tasting.
Practical details
POP’s tasting experiences are suited to small groups, typically between six and fifteen people, and can be tailored to the interests and level of knowledge of your team. Graça is easily accessible from central Lisbon by taxi or rideshare, and the nearby Miradouro da Senhora do Monte makes it easy to extend the evening with a walk and a last glass under the open sky.
Also: corporate gifts with a Portuguese soul
POP, Rua da Senhora do Monte 38C, Graça, Lisbon. Open daily from 2pm.